Heart of Glass
by moriartyswife
Summary: "He doesn't care about us, Sori. Forget about him and join me in salvation." Salvation. That's what he wanted. Saeran forgot reason… and turned all his hatred for the world into hating our brother... who had disappeared. He became the perfect target for that blonde woman, but I escaped them. All alone, I made one friend at a diner. The string of fate had brought us together.
1. Chapter 1

_"You're worthless! Dinner is ruined because of you!" Mother screamed, fanning the black smoke away from our small stove. She was too preoccupied with keeping the house from burning down to punish me right now._

 _Trembling, I backed away. She was always like this. This dinner she wanted cooked wasn't for us. It was for herself. She'd give us the leftovers, and there was never enough to share between us three kids. I couldn't muster any kind of apology. Part of me know that I'd done it on purpose. Her eyes fell on me finally, filled with hate. "You little monster!"_

 _Making a scramble for the stairs, the commotion had been enough to alert my brothers upstairs, and they both came out of our room. Mother's rough hand grabbed my hair, hauling my small body backwards. I'd made a mistake. Trying to get back at her was a mistake. A scream left my lips and my eyes found my big brothers._

"Dammit!" I sat up on the uncomfortable couch, pressing the heels of my palms into my eyes. Why can't I remember any more details about my brothers? They're blurry memories. That blonde woman… she'd taken everything from me. Finding the clock on the wall, I realized how late it was. The entire day had been wasted.

My stomach growled from hunger. It wouldn't hurt to walk down to the 24-hour diner at the end of the street. Dragging myself to the mirror, I jerked my fingers through my red hair, trying to untangle my locks. My hair brush had been broken over a month ago, and I can't afford to get a new one. Hell, I could barely afford this studio apartment.

The cool night air froze my cheeks. Autumn had set in a month ago, and the dropping temperatures were taking a toll on my health. Getting a new winter jacket should be my next priority whenever I acquire some more money. Getting cash was becoming increasingly harder. No one wanted to hire a girl who couldn't tell them who she was.

Taking my usual seat at the counter, the waitress brought me an espresso with extra cream, like I always ordered. The diner stayed pretty empty at this hour, only welcoming regular night customers, and the odd traveler. It's the only place that feels familiar to me.

"We'll split a breakfast combo, make it a large," A familiar voice came from beside me.

My head snapped up from the menu I'd been reading over. "Vanderwood? You came back," I said, dumbfounded. This man began frequenting this diner late at night. I didn't know much about him, but we'd become almost like friends.

"Would it be too strange for me to say that I hoped you be here?" Vanderwood asked, sitting on the stool next to me. We'd met here a few months ago, and it seemed every time I came, he would show up.

I laughed, thankful for the company. Being on my own is hard. It gets lonely. "No, I'm glad you came too. I've got nothing on my search for my family. Though, I don't get access to computers or anything very much. My phone isn't even one of those smart ones." My little flip phone came from 10 years ago.

Vanderwood held out his phone after pulling up a new contact page. "Here, give me your number and make a note of all the information you have on yourself. I'll look into it for you, if you don't mind." He smiled. This isn't the first time he's offered to help. I'd initially turned him down, but my options were running thin.

Chewing on my lip, I nodded my head, taking the phone. "Thank you…." No one has ever wanted to help me before. My last memory of one of brothers is from almost 3 years ago. It still haunted my dreams.

"Sori… Choi? That's an unusual name," Vanderwood commented.

The waitress set down our food and gave us an extra plate. "It's one of the few things I remember about myself. I'm sorry that I can't give you any more information." My name was the only thing I had left. Sometimes, it scared me that it might be forgotten one day. Sighing, I cut into one of the pancakes. "How is your friend? Is he still causing you a lot of problems?"

Vanderwood rolled his eyes but smiled. "His priorities aren't in line with the company we work for. I've been assigned to get him in gear."

"Well, tell him I said hi, and to not cause you so much trouble. You look more exhausted than me tonight," I joked. The warm pancakes were a pleasant change of pace to my usually cold dinners. Swirling around my fork in the syrup, I smiled.

"He's intrigued by you, you know. You're still a mystery him since I've refused to tell him anything about you. Are you sure you wouldn't like for me to ask for his help? As much as he's a pain, he's skilled."

Should I enlist the help of someone else? A stranger? Taking a moment to think it over, I replied, "If you think he could help me, then you can tell him." Finishing off my food, I thanked the waitress for the meal. As usual, Vanderwood paid. Walking outside with him, I shivered.

"Really? You've been against help for so long. It's kind of surprising," Vanderwood said, lighting a cigarette. The smoke blew in my direction.

Shrugging my shoulders, I waved the smoke away. A small cough escaped my lips. "My situation is deteriorating as we speak. I'm not sure I'll be able to make it on my own much longer." That woman would be looking for me. She'd bring me back to that place and start giving me those drugs again. I can't go back there.

Vanderwood nodded his head, not asking anymore questions about it. We'd both agreed not to pry into each others lives. Simply be friends in the moment. "Goodnight, Sori," he said quietly. He hated being out in the open, so our conversations outside the diner never lasted more than a few minutes.

"Goodnight," I replied with a smile. Content with receiving help from him, I headed back to my small apartment down the street. The temperature had dropped ever more, causing me to sneeze from the cold. The headlights of a car blinded me as it turned the corner and stopped, leaving me trapped in a spotlight.

Rain began to fall, one drop at a time, slowly. The car door opened, and someone called my name…. Sori. That voice… I remember it from that prison. They're with that woman! Panic set in. I have to get out of here! Taking a shaky step back, I hit someone. An arm wrapped around my shoulder, pulling me into their side. My struggle stopped when I took a deep breath. Cigarettes and pancakes.

Shielding me from view, Vanderwood laughed. "There you are Mina. Too many drinks tonight huh?" He turned his attention to the man who had gotten out of the car. "Who was it you're looking for?" The rain fell heavier, making it hard to hear the conversation. "Sorry, wrong girl. Though, there's a girl by that name that frequents that diner down there."

Is he… trying to save me?

Whatever he'd done, they left us, driving quickly away. Vanderwood kept a tight hold on me. "Sori, I need you to trust me. I'll keep you safe if you come with me." He spoke softly, leaning down to speak into my ear. "You seem to be in more danger than you let on."

"I trust you," I responded. What choice did I have? If they knew that I was in the area, then they'd find my apartment soon. Keeping up with Vanderwood's pace was hard in the pouring rain. My whole body was chilled. We walked for a few blocks before we reached a nice apartment complex.

"I'm going to leave you with my friend while I go to your apartment and get your things. What's the address?" He said, checking to make sure we weren't followed. In the elevator, he listened to me tell him about my apartment. "You'll be safe here, I promise."

A security system like I'd never seen greeted us at the door. Annoyed Vanderwood yelled at the camera, telling this Seven that this was an emergency. I couldn't focus on the door, instead, worried that someone would come around that corner any second to take me away.

The door clicked open. "Vanderwood, what are you doing with a girl? My apartment is not for your little flings." This man's voice reminded me of someone…

It got quiet for a moment, so I turned to look at him. Tilting my head to the side, I racked my brain for why he looked familiar to me. Our eyes met, matching in the same shade. His mouth dropped open slightly, and he stepped closer to me. "S-Sori?"

Do I know him? It kind of looked like I was looking in a very strange mirror. He looked so similar to me. My eyes grew wide as my mind finally placed this person. But… that's not possible. It can't be possible. How could we have been only a few blocks away from each other?

"Saeyoung?"


	2. Chapter 2

Neither of us moved for what felt like an eternity. Vanderwood looked between us, analyzing the situation unraveling in front of him. "Wait… Don't tell me…" He trailed off, hesitant to make assumptions. "Sori, what's going on?"

"Sori is my little sister," Saeyoung said, still not moving from his spot in the doorway.

My feelings inside felt confused. Saeyoung is alive! He abandoned us. But there must be a good reason. No reason good enough! He wouldn't just leave us! But he did. This isn't his fault. Stop making excuses for him! Saeran, wait! Don't be upset with me!

"It's okay if you're mad at me, Sori," Saeyoung said softly, as if reading my mind.

I covered my face with my hands to hide the tears. "I'm not…" I hiccupped. "I'm not mad." Hurt… It makes me upset that he disappeared, but now he can tell me why! So, why can't I stop crying and just ask him? These emotions were making my head pound.

An arm wrapped around my shoulder, pulling into a hug. "I hate to interrupt this reunion, but it isn't safe for you out here right now," Vanderwood said, planting a soft kiss on the top of my head. That's the third time he's kissed me since we met. "And you're soaking wet. You'll catch a cold." His concern for me warmed my heart.

Calming down, I wiped the tears off my cheeks. "Thanks for worrying about me," I replied with a smile.

Vanderwood took one last look around. "I'll come inside with you for a little bit. Your apartment should be safe for a few hours." Keeping an arm around me, he led me inside the apartment.

It was a little messy. Chip bags on the coffee table. A huge computer area, with more than one monitor. Is he hacking like Saeran? From what little I remember, Saeyoung was so smart. He always came up with plans and took care of us whenever Mother got out of hand.

"Sori, can I have Seven look at your phone? We need to make sure they aren't tracking you by it. In the meantime, you can take a shower and warm up," Vanderwood said, holding out his hand.

Giving over my phone, I nodded. "S-sure. Thanks," I said, trying to calm my racing mind. Finally, alone in the bathroom, I sat down in the shower, letting the warm water soak into my freezing body. Is this really happening to me? Has all my bad luck turned good?

He doesn't care about us, Sori. Forget about him and join me in salvation.

Salvation. That's what he wanted. Saeran forgot reason… and turned all his hatred for the world into hating our brother. With our mother dead, he had no one else to blame for his pain. He was the perfect target for that blonde woman. Saeran… did you forget all those times our brother protected us from our mother?

Vanderwood had left when I returned to the main room of the apartment. Since none of my clean clothes were here, he'd stolen some of Saeyoung's clothes for me. Brushing my bangs out of my face, I quietly walked over to where Saeyoung sat at his computer, typing into what looked like a chatroom. "Saeran likes computers too."

He looked up from his screen, surprised by the statement. "Oh yeah? Do you?"

He's interested in me? I dropped my gaze to the floor. "No. I'm not very good with technology." Guess I am the stupid one of the three of us. Tugging at the sleeves of the shirt, I sighed. "W-Why did Vanderwood call you Seven?"

Saeyoung pulled over the chair on his other side, wanting me to sit. "My line of work requires me to be discrete. It's my code name." When he noticed his answer satisfied my curiosity, he asked, "Do you know where Saeran is?"

I shook my head. "No… I can't remember. Wherever he is, it isn't a good place. The elixir, it changed him." He waited patiently when I paused, trying to find the right words. "I have gaps in my memory. From the same elixir. I escaped from that place three years ago, but I still haven't regained my memories."

Saeyoung turned when he had a phone call but pressed the end button immediately. "You don't have to talk about it, Sori."

"But I want to!" The words tumbled out of my mouth. It's been so long since I've had someone to trust. It's all been a secret. My identity. My past. Pulling my knees up to my chest and hugging my arms around them, I rested my chin on top of my knee. "I remember being in that place and I didn't like it. All they talked about was Salvation, kind of like being at the church, except they didn't worship God. It's some woman, but I don't remember what she looks like except for her blonde hair and green eyes. She didn't like me."

"Sori, if you do not make the choice to join us in salvation, then I will have no choice but to cast you out," Her piercing green eyes peered down into my gold ones. Her guards had thrown me down onto the ground in front of her throne. She didn't speak to me the way she spoke to Saeran.

The doors opened, and my brother came running, dropping down to my side. "Savior, please forgive her. Sori needs more time. Her kind heart is causing her to hold onto our eldest sibling." Saeran had changed in the last few days.

The Savior rose from her throne, coming over to Saeran like he was her favorite dog. "I understand why you're worried about her, but if she continues to deny the elixir, there is only one choice." She grabbed his chin and squeezed. "Do you understand what must be done for her to stay in paradise?"

The light in his eyes dulled and his whole body seemed to shift in a strange way. "I understand, Savior."

Panic arose in my chest. I jerked my body forward, pulling her grip off my brother. "Don't touch him!" I shouted. The whole room went deathly quiet. The other believers in the room had gaping mouths. Somehow the laugh that came from beside me didn't sound at all like the one I knew so well. Turning my head slowly, Saeran had a smirk on his face. "S-Saeran?" It has to be that drug!

The front door swung open, causing me to jump. Vanderwood had all my belongings in one suitcase and a large box. His hair dripped water on the floor and there was a streak of blood across his cheek. "That went as well as expected," he mumbled, setting the items down. His eyes met mine and he smiled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Sinking back down into the chair, I tried to hide my fear. "I'm okay."

Vanderwood turned his gaze to Saeyoung, narrowing his eyes. "I received a call from the boss. You still haven't finished the work that was assigned to you. How many times do I have to tell you to get it done?" He sounded like a nagging mother, like the ones I'd seen in the grocery store.

My brother sighed and waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, Mary, I got it. I'll get right on it." He turned in the swivel chair and opened up some program. The mixture of symbols and numbers made my head hurt. Saeran had been good at this too. He'd tried to explain to me, but I didn't understand.

I rested my forehead on my knees and let my eyes slide close for a moment. That's what I told myself, anyways. Just resting my eyes. It seems like he's busy, so I should just be quiet like I used to do when Saeran worked. Somehow the sound of Saeyoung typing on the keyboard lulled me into a restless sleep. That memory I'd remembered… That had been the first time I'd seen a real change in Saeran's behavior. A terrifying change.


End file.
